Reaction Speed
by levyredfoxichi
Summary: An orphan teen girl is brought to the Fairy Tail guild from a laboratory where she has been experimented on mercilessly. There she is given a new chance at life. But will her previous life truly give her peace? WARNING: Chap 1 has some content with needles and blood. GrayxOC. Rated M for minor swearing and some gore, and to be safe.
1. Chapter 1: Suffocating

**_Hi! I'm facing writers block for my other fanfiction. So I decided to start a new one in hopes of getting some ideas. Let me know what you think! This is much different than my other fanfiction. Its more dark and tragic. But if you want to read, please do. Thanks!_**

_Chapter 1:_

Sharp needles entered my skin, pushing deep into my body and injecting the jet black liquid into my blood stream. The sight of the needles itself was horrifying enough; they were sharp, big, and thick. Every time one pushed into my skin, blood would well up and burst around the tip. Once it was removed a steady flow of blood would trickle out. Again and again they pierced my skin, the needles pushed deep into my thin body. Waves of overwhelming pain washed over my body. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry; I wanted to be able to struggle in some way. Yet I couldn't move a single muscle or limb in my small body. I could only remain there, and feel the waves of agonizing pain that flooded me.

Soon needles pierced other parts of my body. I could feel blood trickling down my arms and legs; a pool of blood formed on my stomach spilling over to the sides. I wanted to scream and cry more than anything. Humans seem to have a thought in our head; that screaming and crying because of pain makes you weak. If you can stand strong and not make a sound, you are considered the bravest of the brave and almost worshipped by all. But I think it means lack of humanity. Because in this state of great pain I was in; more than anything, I wanted to show weakness. It was a desperate need to show I was human and couldn't handle this. I couldn't handle what they were doing to me.

Needle after needle tore into me, injecting that… That liquid into me. It burned my blood, and made my whole body sting and burn as if it was poison. Although it wasn't poison, but the blood of a former human; one who had lost themselves on the path of darkness and evil. Someone who had been completely corrupted by greed.

A happy face leaned over and hovered above me.

"It's working. She can't seem to feel the pain of the injections! Not a single emotion in her body. She will be a weapon without flaws. A demon weapon, capable of being pierced through the heart without feeling a thing. But unlike most, this weapon will be able to be controlled by us. Fiore will worship our sciences." A man in a long white lab coat said grinning.

"Indeed. And look at her gorgeous face! We could use her for other 'purposes' too… It's not like she can feel anything anymore. She is a near perfect doll now." The man hovering over my unmoving body said.

_You disgusting no good ass hole! I can feel it all! The physical and emotional pain! Your project failed! _

I sobbed in my mind; the need for tears to escape my eyes became unbearable. It wasn't that I couldn't feel the pain like they thought. What they had done was much worse. They had accidently made me unable to react to pain at all. On the outside I was completely emotionless, not a wince or twitch in my body when pain hit. But on the inside, I screamed and cried in horror and agony. The pain came in rows all over my body. I wanted to shake, to twitch, to spasm! Anything at all!

They had succeeded in one mission. They had turned me into something non human. I couldn't react to pain; I could only stare straight ahead. I felt no emotion in my face, the only way to prove to myself I wasn't dead was the screaming and terrifying pleads in my mind.

_WHY ME?! WHAT DID I DO?! I'LL BE GOOD! JUST PLEASE STOP! THIS IS CRUEL! PLEASE! WHATEVER I DID, I PROMISE I WON'T DO IT AGAIN! _

Yet I couldn't speak my thoughts aloud. I was a soul trapped inside a horrible experiment. I didn't recall doing anything wrong, as far as I knew I was innocent. I was simply a fourteen year old orphan, who desired nothing more than love. Whether it was the ability to feel love, or receive it; I wanted to know it. I had heard from stories of the happiness it brought, as if that joy could heal anything. I knew of people who were pure evil, and desired nothing but fame and power, and would do things to innocent people. But something told me I was chosen for this torture for a specific reason.

The men backed away from the table and laid the needles down on a nearby counter. They wiped the sweat off of their foreheads and sighed in relief.

_Causing people unfathomable pain is hard work apparently._

"I think that's enough work for today. Let's get our research notes to the boss." One of the men commented. The rest of the scientist nodded in agreement and left one by one. As the last one left, the darkness entered. I was left alone to breathe in my own toxic, and drown in my own pain again.

_Why am I alive? Why would someone bring me into this world if the purpose was only to make me suffer? Fate? Is it my destiny to suffer, and long for happiness? _

I laid there in the darkness. I didn't fear it, rather I liked it. Well not the darkness that corrupts people, but the darkness in which there is no light. It was comforting for some odd reason. I had read somewhere that we all lived the first nine months of our lives in darkness. Maybe that was why I felt closer to it. Because it was the only time I had been with people that shared a relationship of some sort with me. In darkness was the only time in my life I had claims to family. My mother and my twin brother had been one with me. I wasn't sure if my mother had wanted me; rumor was that she had died on the day my brother and I were born. But my twin brother... I had been born with a connection to him, one that had lasted my entire life. We were separated at birth, but I always felt something resonating deep within my mind. I knew from the moment I left my mother's womb that my twin and I had cared for each other while we were together. It was almost as if he was another part of me that I longed to have back in my life. I knew he was alive and somewhere out there. I desired nothing more than to find him and see if he had any answers to our dark past. My heart panged at the thought of never finding him and staying in this hell for all eternity.

_I am a demon now. Nobody will care for me. I must learn to live without these desires from now on._

The need to cry became overwhelming with each thought. Tears banged at my eye lids, begging to be free. Nothing would be able to release them from their prison though. I had to accept that, and learn to live with this pain.

_I have to learn to not be human._

"Hey! You don't have permission to enter here!" I recognized the voice of one of the scientist call out. A silent pause filled the air, and then an unexpected bang filled the silence.

"Intruders! How dare you! Seize them!" The lab guards yelled.

"Satan Soul." A dark voice filled with power rang throughout the building. Several more booms and thumps filled the lab chamber. Groans of pain and cries of defeat were clearly heard. Whoever they were, I had respect for them for putting those bastards in their place. Loud footsteps of several people running down the hall that lead to my hell filled the air. Silently I began to plead to the strangers headed towards me.

Please_ be here to take me away from this place._ _I beg of you. If you want to cause me more pain, I'd rather you just kill me._

I heard the door slam open and maybe three or four people run in. The rapid footsteps approached the table where I lay strapped down and bloody. A girl that was looked a few years older than me hovered above my face. She took her fingers and placed them on the spot of my neck that held my pulse. She held it there for a moment, and picked me up as if I weighed nothing.

"She's alive! Mira break this wall, we have to hurry! They'll be sending people more guards in soon!" The redheaded girl holding me called anxiously.

"Can't do it yourself huh?" A white haired girl in black punk clothing responded. "Elfman! Laxus! Let's go!"

"I have a girl in my arms idiot! I'm going ahead; she needs to get Porlyusica fast. I think you can handle these scum bags."

"Heh. Nothing to it." The girl named Mira grinned cockily.

The red haired girl looked back to me, smiling kindly. Behind her seemingly calm expression, I could see a layer of horror and pity. I didn't blame her; I would be too terrified to touch myself let alone pick me up. "Don't be afraid, were wizards from a guild called Fairy Tail. Someone filed for a mission to save you, and we accepted the mission. We're going to take you back." She told me softly.

I became confused at what she had told me.

_Somebody wanted me rescued?_

"Soul Extinguish!" Mira yelled. A black light hit the wall and shattered.

The room began to shake as the wall cracked and broke, letting bright sunlight stream into the room from every direction. I wanted to close my eyes, for I hadn't seen sunlight in months. My eyes stung and tried to close. But of course they failed rather miserably. The red haired wizard jumped out of the opening and started falling quickly towards the ground.

_We're going to crash!_

_"_Requip!" The girl said loudly. Light filled the space around her and shone brightly. When it had ceased, her clothing had changed into a black outfit with jet black wings. They flew upwards and began to soar over the buildings the town.

She looked down at me without the slightest hint of fear in her brown eyes. "I understand your situation. Your being used for military experimentation correct?" The teen wizard asked. She looked concerned when I didn't answer. Guilt swept over me that I couldn't respond to her. "My guess is they have done something to you that has rendered you unable to speak. I hope that's all it is at least. My name is Erza; I am a wizard of Fairy Tail. We're going to take you to our guild, someone there will heal you." Erza informed me comfortingly.

Relief swept over me. The pain still panged and ached all over, and my blood still burned. If someone could heal it, then I would be forever grateful. Something told me that I didn't need to fear these people; a kind aura lingered on all of them. Maybe I would be given a new option of a path to take when I arrived. I could only hope that something positive could come out of this.

_Well. Fairy Tail here I come I guess._

_At the laboratory:_

"What!" An angry man yelled. His hand slapped the woman before him and sent her flying back. "Scum! All of you! Out of my sight!" he yelled angrily.

The woman nodded and ran off quickly out of the room.

The man paced back and forth a hand stroking his black beard. "That damn woman. Filing a request for her precious baby to be saved. I'll locate that bitch and have her slaughtered!" He slammed his fist on the table, making it crack on the surface top. "And I'll make her watch in despair as her daughter and son fight to the death. Yes… Let them bond first; it'll make her suffer more. I'll give that idiot child a few years to be happy. Then I'll make her destroy the people who caused her that happiness. That is whole different kind of suffering."

_Chapter 1 end:_

**Done! Been working on this for like 4 hrs straight my back hurts. Tell me what you thought. **


	2. Chapter 2: A New Beginning?

_Chapter 2:_

Sunlight entered my room and filled the dark spaces with its bright morning shine. My eyes lazily opened. I scanned my surroundings with caution, moving my sore neck from side to side to see the new room where I'd been placed. I wasn't in the tree house I had been in when I was last conscious. Now I lay on a twin size bed in a large room with light blue walls and white carpet floors. There were two windows facing each other on the opposite sides of the room, one to the east, and one to the west. I knew that one was the east because the sun was pouring through one of the windows, causing me to wince. There was a regular door on the south wall of the room.

It all seemed normal enough, so I came to the conclusion that I was not in a crazy maniac's lair. I tried to open my eyes wider, but I felt a heavy groggy feeling keep them mostly closed. I yawned and buried my head into the pillow I was laying on. I hadn't slept in close to two months, so it didn't surprise me that I felt like I had slept at least a couple of days.

I yawned and let the feeling of relaxation spread throughout my body. I hadn't felt relaxed in a very long time, so I enjoyed the feeling of it just being me and my thoughts in the safe and quiet space. Nothing strapping me down to the bed, no IV's dripping fluid into my body, and no crazy scientist stabbing me with needles.

A small wince crept up on my face as I tried to remember the events that had taken place the last time I had been awake. As far as I knew, I had been brought to a sorceress named Porlyusica to be healed. She reluctantly agreed to heal me, even though the mere sight of me seemed like an impossible task. The white dress I had been forced to wear while I was being experimented on was completely soaked in blood. The thick crimson liquid dripped off every part of my body that had been a spot for injection. As stern and cold as the healer seemed, even she was fazed at my horrifying figure. It had taken her a lot of time, but eventually she broke the scientist's hard work. As she released the magic spell that had been planted deep within my body, an unimaginable amount of tears ran down my face and soaked the front of my crimson red and white dress. I screamed and laughed maniacally in relief. That earned me a head slap from the easily angered healer rather quickly. But it felt so good to be able to do that again. I simply relished in the feeling of being able to express my emotions on the outside as well.

I had passed out a few minutes later from blood loss I think, and had woken up in the room I lay in now. I touched my mouth slowly and grinned wider as I felt a smile on my face. My whole body was sore and numb from all the injections, but I mentally grinned when I winced and moaned at the aching sensations. I could've lay there forever, just enjoying my face moving again; squirming happily at the reactions to the pain in my body. Then my stomach growled loudly and I realized the weak feeling in my body. I held a hand above my head and watched it shake uncontrollably with a creepy grin. I tried to sit up, so I could attempt to stand up, but I instantly fell back down into the soft pillows when my head rose.

_I haven't eaten in two months. Damn scientist… I may die pretty soon if I don't get some food._

I had been given necessary nutrients for survival while I was being experimented on. Another one of their miscalculations was that I couldn't feel hunger anymore. Wrong again. I could feel it every day. The nutrients kept me alive, but they didn't satisfy hunger at all.

_Food…_

Suddenly a knock on my door made me jump slightly. I became nervous and shook more rapidly. I knew I wasn't in the lab anymore, but I still didn't trust many people. For the past two months, every person I had met had harmed me in some way or another. I wanted to hide under the covers, but I knew if they were evil, they would've just opened the door and not recognized my presence. I breathed heavily in attempt to calm myself.

"What if she is still sleeping?" A small voice asked.

"Well then we let her sleep longer, who knows how long it's been since she has had a decent sleep." Another voice replied.

"Who's there?" I called out nervously. Even though the two voices were obviously young girls, and they seemed to pose no threat.

Another muffled voice came from the other side of the door. I was relieved to hear the familiar kind voice respond to me. "It's Erza. May I please come in?" She asked in a reassuring and gentle tone.

I sighed in relief and forced my shaking to subside before I responded. "Go on." I said casually, as if I was never scared out of my wits. The door opened, and Erza poked her head in. She casually let the rest of her body follow her into the room.

"Glad to see you're awake." She said smiling. "I thought you might be hungry. So I've had food prepared for when you decided to wake up" She said casually. Suddenly two other girls poked their heads into the room. One was Erza's age, with waist long, dark brown hair. She looked at me curiously and smiled awkwardly when I locked eyes with her. The girl next to her was maybe a year or so younger than the other two, so she must've been about my age. She had gorgeous shoulder length blue hair, and a shy; yet kind looking face. "You two can come in." Erza told them reassuringly "She is feeling much better."

They looked at me for approval, which made me widen my eyes in surprise. I gave them a happy smile and nodded. The two stepped in carrying a platter of food in each of their hands. The platters had heap loads of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and berries loaded onto them. I drooled a little at the smell of the delicious looking food. "Thank you so much. I haven't eaten food in two months." I said as the two girls sat the platters beside me. They all seemed a bit shocked by my statement, but they quickly brought the food over. The blue haired girl helped me sit up and brought a large bite of eggs to my mouth. I lost the ability to chew as it entered my mouth. I swallowed it and relied on her to feed me until I had enough food to keep myself from shaking. I shoved food into my mouth, chewing it once or twice before swallowing it. "I'm sorry. Forgive me, I haven't eaten good food in an even longer time." I said apologetically for my horrible eating habits.

A long pause filled the room, and only my chewing was heard. "What are your names?" I asked the two girls who watched me curiously as they sat beside my bed. It was getting awkward and I didn't like long silences. They looked up at me when my voice left my mouth.

"I'm Cana Alberona." The brown haired girl said kindly and casually.

The blue haired girl looked at me shyly, and decided to look away again. "I'm Levy Mcgarden." She said. She looked back to me and smiled kindly and shyly. "It's nice to meet you."

I smiled, they both seemed kind and I could tell they meant no threat to me. Erza cleared her throat to get my attention away from the food.

"I didn't get your name the last time we met," Erza pointed out. "What's your name?"

I blushed at realizing that I hadn't told them my own name. "Oh I'm sorry! My name is Akiha. And uh… I'm an orphan, so I'm not sure of my last name."

Erza nodded in understanding. "I don't know my real last name either, but a… A friend of mine gave me the last name Scarlet because of my hair color. It kind of stuck so I use it as my last name. I was an orphan too." She stated sympathetically.

I sighed in relief that someone else understood. "Well it's good you found a place to call home." I said quietly. "I didn't have any friends growing up. I only know how to interact with people from books I've read from the library. I taught myself to read when I was younger. It took quite a while though; I spent a lot of time trying to." I stated, smiling sadly.

Levy looked up at me excitedly. "You read a lot of books?" She asked.

I nodded enthusiastically. "I'm a big reader. It's kind of the only thing that has given me inspiration for anything. Sort of my salvation you could say."

Levy smiled sympathetically and slowly placed her small hand on my own comfortingly. I jumped at the gesture. I wasn't used to people giving me comfort so I wasn't sure what to do. I decided on letting her hand remain, because it did make me feel a bit more comfortable.

"That's sad." Cana said quietly. "Hopefully here you can find some new inspiration."

"Speaking of here," I said. "Where am I at the moment?" I asked looking around curiously.

Erza smiled proudly. "Fairy Hills, it's a dorm for female Fairy Tail wizards. You can rest here until you're ready to go to the guild." Erza informed me.

I nodded in thanks and then froze suddenly. Another silent moment passed, and as I was about to say something my head started to throb, and a mind splitting headache emitted from somewhere in the middle of my mind. It slowly spread and my whole body seemed to scream in pain. I grasped my head and shut my eyes tight.

**_"Hello there, dear experiment." _**Anominous voice boomed in my head. I shivered and cringed at the familiar voice. Everything around me turned black; the three girls before me shimmered into the darkness.

_What do you want bastard?!_

**_"Now let's not get too hasty shall we? I just thought you'd like to know that I am giving you freedom. We no longer need you, as long as you promise not to tell anyone about your experiences here; I won't send anyone after you. Though if you attempt to tell anyone, brace yourself for something excruciating to follow. I wish you the best." _**

It was only mere seconds and as his voice ceased, so did the pain in my head. My head pounded and I stared ahead in utter shock. Tears of relief spilled down my face, and I laughed at the irony of it all. I didn't have to leave; I could stay and enjoy a new life at this guild. Maybe I could finally make friends and find a new purpose in life to live for. I actually had a little bit of mysterious magic power, so I wouldn't be a total dead weight to the guild. I wiped my eyes and laughed some more.

"Akiha, are you ok?" Levy asked frantically and concerned. Her grip on my hand tightened.

The three of them came back into the sight, but they were moving as if I'd just spun seventy times. I laughed once more and nodded lightly. "I just got a really bad headache all of the sudden. Sorry about that."

Erza looked at me seriously and spoke in a matching tone. "The same people who just contacted you also contacted all the people who went to rescue you; including myself. Our master has decided to listen to them, since it is a council order. In no way does he think it's right, but he figured you'd prefer a life of peace then one of war." Erza told me. "We already got some nasty orders from the council, but they're willing to drop it if we keep quiet."

I bit my lip and clenched my fist angrily.

_So that was all legal then?_

I scoffed in disbelief. "I'll keep quiet." I said submissively.

Erza nodded in sympathy and understanding. I saw her fist clench and unclench in irritation. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "You'll remain with the guild then?" She asked me curiously.

I thought about it and couldn't think of a good reason not to now. I smiled and nodded. "I'm honored to. I'll work hard, I swear!" I said determinedly.

Levy looked at me in delight, and Cana smiled happily. Erza nodded in approval.

"Well then I guess it's time you met some other members of our guild. Why don't you get changed?" Erza told me. She stood up and gestured to Cana and Levy. They got up and followed her, and waved before leaving the room. "We will be downstairs waiting; some of the girls pitched in and donated some clothes for you to wear." And with that, she walked out of the room and shut the door; leaving me to smile and beam at the chance of a new life.

About half an hour later, I found myself dressed in an ankle length grass green skirt, and a plain white long sleeve shirt. I checked my reflection in the mirror; I had tied my long, light auburn hair into a high pony tail. My tan skin was soft; accompanied by an after shower type of glow and my nails were now freshly trimmed. I sighed in relief that I didn't look too close to death. I took a few testing steps towards the door, and became confident in my moving ability again. I opened the door and found Erza in the hallway outside of it.

"Back inside." She said as soon as she looked at my outfit.

I looked at her in mild surprise and confusion. "Uh… Why?" I tilted my head.

She looked at me with a pitying smile. "It's the middle of summer Akiha. You don't have to cover your whole body up." She informed me.

I looked down quickly and squirmed uncomfortably. I was about to open my mouth to explain when she thrust a neat pile of folded clothes to me. I looked at it uncomfortably and sighed submissively. I turned around and changed into the outfit she had given me. I sighed in relief as I saw the new outfit still covered the scars of the needles that pierced me. I shuddered at the thought of the pain of them continuously entering my body. I pushed the thoughts away as best as I could, and walked out of the room. Erza smiled.

"You look nice and season appropriate now." She said contently.

She had picked out a powder blue elbow length shirt and a pair of white capris to go with it. A white pair of sandals hugged my feet comfortably.

I sighed in exasperation. "I don't care what I wear as long as it doesn't show my hideous scars." I said bitterly. I shut the door behind me, and followed Erza down a long hallway.

"I understand that, but you must learn to live with them eventually." She said sadly.

I decided not to respond because I didn't want to cry right now, and talking about this would certainly make me bawl. But I didn't want to look like I was a pitiful being to the people I'd be staying with for a while.

**_Fairy Tail Guild:_**

I stared at the scene before me in utter shock and disbelief. Two teen boys were beating each other up, and everyone was calmly doing other things; as if it was completely normal.

_What the hell?_

One boy was fairly tall, and he had pink hair that didn't make him look any less like a guy surprisingly. He wore a white scarf, black pants, and a matching vest. The other boy was about the same height, with spiky black hair. He wore a pair of black boxers and… Nothing else. I blushed at the sight of him because he was… Well hot. And almost naked. I remained staring at them in shock, until Erza stepped in front of me.

"What are you two doing?" She asked irritably.

They both froze mid punch and looked up at her fearfully. Instantly they stood straight up and held hands in surprise.

"Erza, we were just doing some best friend training!" The dark haired boy said nervously and awkwardly.

"Aye!" said the pink haired wizard, who was so nervous he couldn't speak in full sentences.

Erza eyed them suspiciously. She rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "I don't have time for you two and your ridiculous arguments. We have a new member, and I want you to be nice gentlemen for her; at least for a few days!" She told them sternly and irritably.

They flinched at her command and nodded frantically. "Aye!" yelled the pink haired boy nervously. The dark haired boy sweat dropped and kept nodding.

Erza nodded in approval and pulled me forward from my awkward position behind her strong figure. I yelped and bowed my head so I didn't meet the two boy's gaze. I could feel their curious eyes on me, and I turned red. "This is Akiha; she was saved on a mission I was on from army experimentation. Please show her that there is nothing to be frightened of here at our guild." She told them quietly.

I gulped and looked up. I looked at the two and locked eyes with the dark haired boy for no reason and bowed. I turned to the pink haired boy and did the same. "It's nice to meet you. I hope I'll be of use to the guild." I said shyly.

"There isn't anything to be afraid of here! We will protect you from anything; after all you're our nakama now!" The pink haired boy said proudly, grinning widely. "Oh, I'm Natsu! The strongest wizard here!"

My eyes widened at Natsu's kindness and reassuring words. I hadn't expected such comfort from the seemingly violent teen. A small smile lit my face and I nodded. "Thank you. It's nice to meet you Natsu." I replied. I looked at the other teen who gaped at me with red tinted cheeks. "What's your name?" I asked curiously.

He jumped when I spoke to him, and turned noticeably red. He looked down awkwardly and itched his head in embarrassment. "Uh… I'm Gray. It's very nice to meet you." He said quickly and looked back up at me smiling kindly yet awkwardly.

I almost fell backwards at the smile he gave me. My mind began to squeal and all I could do was nod in acknowledgement.

_Oh my god… He is so cute…_

"Nice to meet you as well." I said casually, and tried to pretend something caught my eye in the opposite direction. In my peripheral vision I saw Erza chuckle and wink at Gray.

_Things will become better Akiha._

**Elsewhere:**

"Ha, this will be interesting." The man said, grinning in amusement.

"Sir." A scientist said as he entered the wide room.

"Yes?" the man said cheerfully.

"Shall we prepare another host while we await her return?" He asked curiously.

"No, because that would be illegal." The man said simply, twirling his fingers in boredom.

"Uh, what?" The scientist asked confused.

"Her father was a member of the team in charge of this experimentation. He had no use for her so he donated her to our cause." He said casually, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh. I understand now." The scientist said meekly.

"Don't worry." The man said smiling. "You'll get her back eventually. But next time she will be much more interesting to experiment on then."

_Chapter 2: end_

**Hi! Finally had some time to write this second chapter. If I get more reviews, promise to update much quicker. Thoughts? Ideas? Let me know J**


	3. Chapter 3: First Happiness

**Yep, I love writing this story. I couldn't stop writing this chapter, it was really fun. This chapter is kind of fluff I guess. It's nice to write this kind of stuff when I know what I have in store for the story…. Enjoy, leave a review for me please! Sorry for any grammar errors, or mispellings.**

**Disclaimer: I dont own Fairy Tail, but I love it to death!**

_Chapter 3:_

"Fairy Tail is pretty awesome right?" Natsu asked me enthusiastically; grinning like a crocodile.

Natsu at first was reluctant to take me around, but he didn't have much choice since Erza had told him to do so. After a while, he started to warm up to me; making jokes about the other members, and revealing some of his ambitions. He was a very determined teen, and I couldn't help but admire his unmovable will. He had told me I was really nice, and easy to talk to. I was happy to hear it, it was fairly easy to talk to him as well; I felt my frightened wall break around him.

I grinned back at him and nodded in agreement.

The young boy had taken me around the guild and introduced me to some people. I had officially met the girl named Mirajane who was part of my rescue team. She seemed nice enough, but she seemed to also have an intimidating side like Erza had. I also had met the master of the guild, Makarov. He was kind as well, and he was happy to hear I was joining the guild. Although I must admit he scared me when he asked to touch my chest; trying to reason by stating that my chest looked irresistibly soft. Mirajane smacked him upside the head and told him to behave himself sternly. I was rather confused about the whole situation, but I was guessing the master had done the action of being perverted. I'd read about it in a few books, but didn't quite understand it…

The guild was beautiful and full of energy and joy. Also brawling, drinking, and other things I could've done without. But still the environment here was like a home that welcomed everyone.

"It's amazing here." My voice was filled with awe and excitement. "I'll work really hard to be a strong member of this guild." I turned to Natsu and gave him a toothy grin and a thumbs up.

"Heh!" He grinned back and did the same to me. "Glad you're here!" He said approvingly.

"Who's this?" A girl asked behind Natsu. He jumped a good three feet in the air when she spoke, and turned around quickly.

"Lisanna!" He said blushing. "Don't… Don't scare me like that…" He said embarrassed.

"I'm sorry Natsu." She said apologetically, but she still smiled in amusement.

"It's alright! Don't apologize!" He said frantically, waving his hands in front of him quickly.

She smiled at him, and he seemed like an entirely different person. He seemed shy, and sweet; you wouldn't guess he had a flaring temper.

I giggled at the pair; for some reason they just looked so cute together. I met Natsu's eye and gave him a wink of approval. He shook his head frantically, as if he was trying to clear it.

"Hi, I'm a new member." I told her. "My name is Akiha, it's a pleasure to meet you." I said bowing politely.

The girl smiled and I noticed her unique features. She had snow white hair, and radiant sapphire eyes. She had a very nice smile, and her face reminded me of someone I'd met earlier.

"Pleased to meet you as well." She bowed as well. "My name is Lisanna."

She seemed to notice my analyzing look. "I am the younger sister of Mirajane and Elfman." She informed me happily.

_Oh, that makes more sense now. I guess they're the white haired siblings._

She smiled brightly. "I hope you're having a good first day here. I have to go prepare for a mission, but I'll see you later." She said kindly. "Goodbye!"

"Bye!" I smiled wide. "Nice meeting you!"

She began to retreat away from us, and I couldn't help but watch Natsu. His eyes followed her every step until she was out the door. I grinned mischievously and poked him in the arm with my index finger.

"I think you have a…" My brain scanned for the right word to describe it. "A liking for her." I said.

His eyes widened and he gaped at me with bright red cheeks. "Do not!" He said ultra defensively. "Were just really good friends." He said looking away and crossing his arms.

"Natsuuuuu!" A high voice called out. Suddenly a small blue cat with wings hovered above the pink haired boy's head. I stared at the cat in wonder, as he casually landed on Natsu's shoulder. "I'm hungry. Let's go get some fishies!" He said brightly, licking his lips.

"Yeah okay, that sounds good." He agreed, rubbing his stomach. "Oh, hey Happy. We got a new member! And she is actually nice and not violent." He told the cat excitedly.

Happy stared at him in disbelief. "No way!" He said in shock.

"Hi!" I said smiling. I bowed again; feeling slightly awkward because I was bowing to a talking blue cat. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm Akiha." I said politely.

Happy gaped at me. "She… Is nice… Not even an insult…" He said in disbelief.

Natsu nodded in agreement. "Isn't it a miracle?" He asked his friend.

"Aye!" The cat responded. "The only people I can think of who are that nice is Lisanna and Levy. Even they weren't that nice. Well anyway, my name is Happy! I'm Fairy Tail's most adorable and funny member." He said proudly.

"I can see that." I said giggling.

"I like this girl." Happy said in utter shock.

"I think Lisanna was just as nice when I first talked to her…" Natsu said in her defense.

"Sure, you just defend her when anyone sais anything bad about her."

"Whatever, well we better get those fish before it gets too dark buddy." He scanned the guild for something. I saw him look at the boy named Gray again. "Hey loser!" He yelled loudly.

Gray groaned and turned around in Natsu's direction. "What flame brain?" He asked irritably.

"I got to go now, so you take care of Akiha while I'm gone." He told him loudly. He turned back to me and grinned. "See you later!"

I grinned back and waved at him. "Good luck with your fishing!"

"Aye sir!" Happy agreed.

I watched as they left the guild and smiled at the thought of us being friends. They seemed nice as long as they were showed equal kindness. For some reason, I felt normal and comfortable around Natsu. I didn't understand why, but he just seemed to have that effect.

A tap on my shoulder made me jump, and I whirled around to come face to face with Gray. I blushed and backed up quickly.

"Sorry!" I bowed in apology.

He chuckled and put his hand on his hip. "You don't need to apologize." He said casually.

I blushed harder as he smirked in amusement. "Right. Sorry." I said looking down.

"Quit apologizing." He told me sternly, yet gently. "So what do you want to see now?" He asked me smiling.

I looked around the guild, and realized I had seen most of it now. I was a bit curious to see the surrounding town. "Uh, I'd actually like to see the city here."

He nodded. "Alright let's go then." He said casually.

He started walking towards the door, and I panicked as I realized he was only in a black pair of boxers. "Um. Can you put on clothes?" I asked shyly and awkwardly.

He quickly looked down jumped in surprise. He began to frantically put his pants and shirt back on. He looked down; clearly embarrassed. He turned back to me. "Sorry about that. It's a bad habit." He admitted laughing slightly.

I laughed and waved my hand to brush it off. "Don't worry about it. Anyway, shall we go?"

He opened the door for me and grinned. "Yup. Let's go."

_Magnolia:_

"Wow…" I stared at all the tall buildings and shops in amazement. There were cafes, coffee shops, clothes stores, supply stores, markets, and so much more. Never in my life had I seen anything like it. I could only gape in amazement, and I didn't seem to notice Gray staring at me with amused eyes.

"You want something?" He asked casually.

I jumped at his question and waved my hands frantically. "No! Why would I want anything?" I lied quickly.

He scoffed. "Not a good liar I see. Well a better question would be; what do you want? I don't really care what you say, I'll get you something." He said shrugging. "Not every day I get to hang out with a pretty girl that doesn't want to kill me." He said laughing.

I blushed to the roots of my hair and scanned the area. A stand caught my attention and my eyes widened like an owl's at the words.

_Ice cream…_

"Is that as good as books make it to be?" I asked him curiously.

He followed my gaze and his eyes widened in surprise. "Don't tell me you've never had ice cream before!" He said in surprise.

I looked down embarrassed. "Is that odd?" I asked curiously.

He sighed. "Definitely isn't common. Most people have had ice cream at least once." He informed me. "Let's get some for you."

I hesitated, but slowly nodded and followed him over to the stand. I looked down into the compartment, there were so many different colors.

"What flavor do you want?" Gray asked grinning.

I stared at him in confusion. "What?"

"They all taste different." He told me softly.

My eyes widened and I grinned excitedly. "Which one tastes good Gray?" I asked him excitedly.

It may have been my imagination, but I could've sworn his cheeks turned a little red when I said his name. He seemed to be analyzing me for something.

"You seem like a chocolate person." He concluded.

I nodded like I understood and agreed. I curiously watched him tell the lady to get ice cream for me, and something called a snow cone for him. I scanned the area as I waited. I decided it was best to grab an empty table before they all got taken; the area was pretty busy and filled with lots of people. I was relieved he came with me, because I would've had a panic attack with all these people around if I was alone.

_My first day… Everyone is so kind. It's almost too good to be true._

"Here you go." Gray's voice invaded my busy thoughts.

I looked up to see him holding a ball of creamy looking stuff in a small bowl towards me. I took it quickly and analyzed it; bringing my nose closer and subtly sniffing it. I didn't smell any poison or anything so I came to the conclusion he wasn't trying to poison me. Even though everybody was kind and I was truly enjoying myself for the first time in years, I was still overly paranoid.

"Thank you so much Gray!" I said smiling brightly.

He took a bite out of his snow cone, and waved his hand. "You're welcome. It was nothing really."

I turned my attention back to the bowl before me. I grabbed the spoon and scooped the tempting looking stuff onto the spoon, and brought it to my mouth. My eyes instantly widened in surprise as the cold ice cream collided with my taste buds. It was absolutely indescribable.

"How is it?" Gray asked, smiling at me softly.

I smiled widely and nodded frantically. "The best thing I've ever tasted!" I said happily.

He chuckled. "I think that's everyone's first words when they try ice cream for the first time. Although there are some that hate ice cream."

I looked at him in confusion while scooping more ice cream into my mouth. "How is that possible?" I asked in disbelief.

He chuckled and shrugged. "Some people just don't find it that good." He said.

I nodded in understanding, and finished the last of my ice cream. "That was the best thing ever."

He laughed when he looked down at my empty bowl. "Apparently so, that probably wasn't any more than a minute." He said, his voice filled with amusement.

I looked down and blushed. It was just so good I couldn't help it; there was no way I could've controlled my eating pace.

"Are you hungry for actual food?" He asked me.

I shook my head. "No…" My answer was betrayed by my growling stomach. I cursed and tried to contain my blush.

He smiled again. "Can't lie at all." He said shaking his head in amusement. "Let's just call it a date and were even ok?" He said giving me a casual smirk.

I stared at him in shock. My head was screaming in joy, and my heart beat sped up. "O-ok." I managed to say.

_I'm officially on a date with the most attractive guy I've ever met. Maybe this is my reward for all these years!_

He stood up, and offered an outstretched hand to me. "Let's go then." He said reassuringly.

I blushed at the action, but slowly placed my hand in his and arose from my chair. "Alright." I said.

I couldn't help but enjoy the warmth of his strong hand as it closed around mine. We walked side by side and he talked to me casually. I eventually forgot about the awkwardness of our intertwined hands and enjoyed the time we were having together.

_New home, a first date... I won't ever forget this day!_

_Fairy Hills:_

I didn't know why I was humming, or why I felt light as air while I walked down the dormitory hall. But I was for some reason. I was practically emitting happiness and excitement as I thought about my first day at the guild, and most of all; my day with Gray.

"Your cheerful." A small voice said knowingly.

I turned around to find Levy smiling at me shyly. She had a pile of books in her hands, which threatened to fall at any moment. "Did you have a good first day?" She asked me curiously.

I bowed out of habit. "Yes! It was a very fun day. Probably the best day of my life!" I told her enthusiastically. "Let me help you with that." I told her, taking a fair amount of books off of her wobbly pile.

"Thank you so much!" She said in relief. "That was going to fall on me sooner or later." She admitted laughing.

"Yeah! It's happened to me several times." I agreed.

We walked down to the hall until she stopped at a room. She opened the door, and my eyes widened in amazement at all the books that she had. Shelf after shelf was filled with heap loads of novels, dictionaries, educational books, and even some children stories.

"Amazing." I breathed.

She looked at me and smiled brightly. "You like it?" She asked hopefully.

"How could I not, it's amazing!" I said happily.

Her smile seemed to only widen at my enthusiasm. "You want to borrow some?" She asked hopefully. "Or you… You can just stay, and we can talk about some books together." She offered shyly.

I looked at her, and this time I wasn't shocked. I just smiled and nodded. "If you don't mind, maybe I could do both?" I said hopefully and cheerfully.

Levy grinned. "Of course!" She said happily.

So we talked about some novels we had both read; which couples we supported, our favorite characters, favorite battle scenes, etc. We talked and talked, and it was so enjoyable, because I'd always talk about this with myself. It was much more fun to talk about it with someone who enjoyed this kind of thing just as much. We had a lot in common fan related. Levy seemed shy, but once you got her talking about something she liked, she opened up like… A book.

Unfortunately I had to leave since it was about four hours until daylight. I returned to my room and changed into a long pair of pajamas. I didn't take one peek down, instead I shut my eyes tight and put the clothes on quickly. I was scared to look down at my scars, but I knew Erza had been right. I would have to face them and accept that they were there to stay forever.

I pushed those negative thoughts away and flooded them away with the memories of today.

_I'll definitely be re watching these._

I focused on the wall before me and put my hand the familiar pose, and closed my eyes.

"Open." I said, summoning the magic energy within me and channeling it to my mind.

A light came from the wall and I opened my eyes to see the events of today playing. I saw myself walking around with Natsu, bowing to all the people I had met, and also the colorful images of Magnolia.

I quietly laughed as I watched my expression when I had my first taste of chocolate ice cream.

"Close." I said quietly. The images and light disappearing from the wall.

Since I was a young girl, I had always been able to force my memories out of my mind, and into the real world. At first I was frightened, because I hadn't meant to. The memory that had played vibrantly in front of me that first time was not a good memory.

Sighing I rolled onto my side and cleared my mind of its thoughts and excitement. I closed my eyes and let sleep close in on me. As the darkness enclosed on me, the roars and screams started their nightly routine yet again. The bloody reaper and flaming dragon back on their nightly rampage of the innocent people of my dreams.

_Chapter 3: end:_

**Well I'm done with this chapter! So I should let you know where this is at story wise. This is about two years prior to Lucy arriving I think… Well its right before Lisanna dies, so that makes it a bit easier. Natsu told Gildarts she had died two years ago when he returned so that sounds about right. Now I know this story may seem kind of fluffy, but it's not mostly. Anyway, please leave me a review! Thanks!**


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